Time control mechanism



P 10, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR 2,806,095

TIME. CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 2'1, 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V ENTOR.

Maj/1m IjZ ZZWtZZ T Mir/q Sept. 10, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR

TIME CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet Ila-I Filed April 2?, 1955 itedStates Patent Ofifice TIME CONTROL MECHANISM William E. Stilwell, .lr.,Glendale,

Murray Corporation of America, poration of Delaware Ohio, assignor toThe Detroit, Mich., a cor- This invention relates to electric timecontrol mechanisms, and particularly to a time control mechanism whichmay be started at any point and which may be interrupted at anysubsequent point.

While the present time control device may be utilized for any machinerequiring a sequence of operations, primarily the timer is hereinillustrated as being employed for a laundering operation where thefabrics are washed and completely dried in a single container.

It has been the practice in the art to employ a separate washing machineand a separate drying machine, each one having a timer thereon toperform the particular cycles of operation. In the washing machine, thecycles of washing, rinsing and extracting were employed, while in thedrying machine it was necessary to set the temperature to produce adesired heat to conform to the fabrics being laundered and to terminatethe operation at the end of a selected period of time conforming to thepre sumed water content of the fabrics. When performing the completelaundering operation in a single machine, it is only necessary to employthe two timers, interconnecting a contact of the washing timer to thetimer motor of the drying timer at the end of the washing operation toprovide the same controls as heretofore employed when the washing anddrying operations were performed in separate laundering devices.

The present invention pertains to a time control device which producessequential operations through the cycle of complete laundering of thefabrics, including the dry stage, thereby eliminating one of the twotime control devices heretofore employed. Not only is a time controldevice eliminated by this arrangement, but more flexibility is providedto the control of the device. In other words, any operation may bestarted at any point and may be terminated thereafter at a desired pointor time interval.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a timecontrol device with control means by which operation may be started atany sequence or any point therein and interrupted at any point or lengthof time thereafter; to provide a control dial for a time control devicehaving a knob which operates a shaft to start an operation and a leveradjustable to any position at which it moves the knob outwardly tointerrupt a circuit and complete the operation of the device, and, ingeneral, to provide a timing device which may operate through any numberof sequences or any part thereof, which is simple in construction,positive in operation, and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will bespecifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for abetter understanding of the invention, to the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a dial having an operating knob and controllever thereon, embodying features of the present invention;

2,806,095 Patented Sept. 10, 1957 Fig. 2 is a sectional view of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 22 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, takenon the line 33 thereof, with the device in operative position;

Fig. 4 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, showingthe knob when cammed outwardly to interrupt the operation of the device,and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, takenon the line 55 thereof.

In the figures, a timer 10 of conventional form is i1- lustrated, havinga shaft 11 carrying any number of cam plates 12 which operate contacts,such as 13 and 14, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Terminals 15 are providedon the device by which connection is made to the wiring harness of themachine to be controlled. The shaft 11 has a pair of notches 16 and 17which retain the shaft in adjusted longitudinal position. Ahairpinshapcd spring 18 has its two arms engaged in one of the notches16 or 17, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 3, respectively, for retainingthe shaft in inward or outward position, as illustrated in the figures.In the figures, it will be noted that a spring arm 19 has a finger 21thereon which is engaged by the adjacent cam plate 12 when the shaft 11is pulled outward! j to move a contact 22 carried on the end of thespring ann away from a fixed contact 23 which is secured to the wall ofthe device. The contacts 22 and 23 are separated when the shaft 11 ispulled outwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and engage each other whenthe shaft 11 is moved inwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

A dial 24 is provided for the timer device, having around the peripheraledges thereof areas indicating time and operations to be performed bythe time control device when driven. A knob 25 is secured to the shaft11 and a lever 26 is secured to the dial plate 24 by the reversely bentfingers 27 in concentric position to the shaft. The inner face of thedial has semicylindrical cam surfaces 28 and 29 provided thereon atdifferent radial distances from the center of the dial so that both willengage balls 31 and 32 carried by the lever 25 at one point in 360movement of the dial. The dial plate 24 has an upstanding flange 33 atthe peripheral edge containing a series of notches 34 engaged by a nib35 extending downwardly from the lever 26 for retaining the lever in setposition while permitting its adjustment.

For accurately adjusting the knob on the shaft relative to the balls 31and 32, a thread 37 on the shaft is engaged by a thread of an aperturelocated on the center of the knob. A screw driver slot 39 is preferablyprovided in the end of the shaft so that it may he maintained againstrotation when the knob is adjusted on the threads to have the camsurfaces 28 and 29 set relative to the balls 31 and 32 in position tomove the knob outwardly. This movement is sufilcient to shift the shaftto have the notch 17 released from engagement with the spring 18 whichengages the notch 16. Thereafter, a setscrew 41 is tightened to maintainthe adjustment and a cap screw 42 is threaded into the aperture 38 ofthe knob to cover the aperture.

By offsetting the semicylindrical cam surfaces 28 and 2h on the knob 25,force is applied on opposite sides of the knob to urge the shaft andknob outwardly, thereby eliminating any binding which would occur if thecam were employed on one side only. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the camsurface 29 is not engaged by the ball 31, which is also true of the camsurface 28 and the ball 32, so that a complete revolution of the knobmay be made before the surfaces engage the balls, as illustrated in Fig.4. A pointer 43 is provided on the knob to indicate the point ofstarting of an operation, while a window 44 on the lever 26 providesvisual indication of the point at which the operation will stop. Withthis arrangement,

an operation may be started at any point in a sequence of operations andmay be terminated thereafter at any point within the sequence or in anyfollowing sequence, thus providing complete flexibility of control for amachine. It is to be understood that the time control device it) may beoperated for any duration of time, depending upon the speed of operationof the shaft ill by the motor 45, from a fraction of an hour to severalhours, to conform to the cycle of operation of the machine on which thetime control device is to be employed.

When the timer is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 after anoperation has been stopped, it is only necessary to advance the knob toa point where an operation is to start and push the knob inwardly tostart the operation. For stopping the operation, the lever 26 is movedto the point at which the operation is to be stopped, and after the knobhas been advanced by the motor, until the camsurfaces 2S and 29 ride upover the balls 31 and 32, for moving the knob outwardly, the operationwill thereby be terminated. By advancing the knob and pushing itinwardly, a new cycle of operation may be started which will beterminated either by manually pulling the knob outwardly or by having itmoved outwardly by the balls 31 and 32;. A stop as is provided on theflange 33 to limit the position of the lever 26.

A similar timer of the linear type is illustrated, described and claimedin the copending application of W. E. Stilwell, In, Serial No. 472,917,filed December 3, 1954. It is to be understood further that theinvention is not limited to the timer having the shaft movable axiallyto interrupt the circuit thereto as the rotatable shaft would producethe actuation of the switch. In this arrangement, the switch would be ofa snap type to provide a quick break for the separation of the contactsand the cam for actuating the switch would be adjustable about the shaftbut driven therewith.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a timer having a driven means for operatingcontacts for making and breaking electric circuits, of additionalcontact means on said timer, and adjustable means on said timer forshifting the driven means to a new position for operating saidadditional contact means by the operation of said driven means at anypoint of adjustment of said adjustable means.

2. The combination with a rotary timer operated by a driven shaft andhaving a plurality of contacts operated thereby, of additional contactmeans on said timer, a knob on said shaft for advancing said shaft to astarting position, driving means for rotating said shaft, and meansarcuately shiftable about said shaft to a selected position for causingsaid additional contact means to be operated by the axial movement ofsaid driven shaft by said driving means.

3. The combination with a rotary timer having an operating shaft and aplurality of contacts operated thereby, of contact means operated whensaid shaft is moved axially, means for driving said shaft in rotation,means on said shaft having camming means thereon, and means arcuatelyadjustable about said shaft having camming means thereon for moving saidshaft axially when said camming means are relatively moved intoengagement with each other by said driving means,

4. The combination with a rotary timer having an operating shaft and aplurality of contacts operated thereby, of contact means operated whensaid shaft is moved axially, means for driving said shaft in rotation,means on said shaft having camming means thereon, means arcuatelyadjustable about said shaft having camming means thereon for moving saidmeans and shaft axially when said camming means are relatively movedinto engagement with each other by said driving means, and means forretaining said rotatable means in adjusted rotatable position.

5. For use with a rotary timer driven by motor means,

a dial plate having indications thereon of sequences of operation to beperformed, a knob advanced by said timer providing visual indications ofthe operation being performed, a lever concentric with said knob anddial plate for adjustment relative thereto, and cam means on said knoband lever for moving said knob outwardly of the dial plate when the cammeans are moved into engagement with each other by said motor means.

6. For use with a rotary timer driven by motor means, a dial platehaving indications thereon of sequences of operation to be performed, aknob advanced by said timer providing visual indications of theoperation being performed, a lever concentric with said knob and dialplate for adjustment relative thereto, and cam means on said knob andlever for moving said knob outwardly of the dial plate when the cammeans are moved into engagement with each other by said motor means,said cam means being disposed on opposite sides of the center of saidknob and lever.

7. The combination with a rotary timer having a shaft which is rotatableand movable axially, means for driving said shaft in rotation, a dialplate indicating sequences of operation to be performed by the timer, alever supported by said plate for arcuate adjustment about the axis ofthe shaft, a knob secured to said shaft outwardly of said lever, saidknob being adjustable to any starting position and said lever beingadjustable to any desired stopping position, and cam means on said knoband lever for moving said knob and said shaft axially as the cam meansare moved into engagement by said driving means.

8. The combination with a rotary timer having a shaft which is rotatableand movable axially, a dial plate indicating sequences of operation tobe performed by the timer, a lever supported by said plate for rotationabout the axis of the shaft, a knob secured to said shaft outwardly ofsaid lever, said knob being adjustable to any starting position and saidlever being adjustable to any desired stopping position, a switch onsaid timer operated by the axial movement of the shaft, cam means onsaid knob and lever for moving said knob and said shaft axially as theshaft is rotated by said driving means, and means on said plate forsecuring said lever in any of its adjusted positions.

9. The combination with a rotary timer having cams on a shaft whichoperate contacts for controlling a plurality of electric circuitsconnected thereto, of means for driving said shaft andcams, a knob onsaid shaft for adjusting the shaft in rotation to set the cams to anydesired starting position, a lever adjustable to another position, andmeans on said shaft and lever for moving the shaft axially at theposition of adjustment of the lever by the operation of said drivingmeans. 10. The combination with a rotary timer having cams on a shaftwhich operate contacts for controllin a plurality of electric circuitsconnected thereto, of means for driving said shaft and earns inrotation, a knob on said shaft for adjusting the shaft and earns inrotation to any desired starting position, a set of contacts on saidtimer, and means on said timer adjustable to any desired position foroperating said set of contacts for stopping said driving means.

11. The combination with a rotary timer having a shaft which controls aplurality of electric circuits connected thereto, of means for drivingsaid shaft and timer, a knob on said shaft for adjusting the shaft inrotation to any desired starting position, a lever adjustable to anotherposition, means on said knob and lever for moving the knob and shaftaxially at the position of adjustment of the lever by the advancement ofthe knob and shaft, and contact means on the timer operated by the axialmovement of said shaft.

12. The combination with a rotary timer having a shaft which controls aplurality of electric circuits connected thereto, of means for drivingsaid shaft and timer, a knob on said shaft for adjusting the shaft inrotation to any desired starting position, additional contact means onsaid timer, and means on said timer adjustable to any desired positionfor operating said additional contact means by the advancement of saidtimer by said driving means to said desired position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,394,142 Breckenridge Feb. 5, 1946 2,521,693 Coultrip Sept. 12, 19502,619,557 Illian Nov. 25, 1952

